Damian Lillard Draft Day party will be Thursday

By Paul Grua
For the Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, June 27 2012 2:38 p.m. MDT

Damian Lillard is expected to be picked up in the first round of the NBA Draft. (Weber State Athletics)

Weber State athletics, the WSU Student Association and the city of Ogden are joining to host a Damian Lillard Draft Day celebration. The event will take place on Thursday as part of the 2012 NBA Draft where Weber State guard Damian Lillard is projected by many to be a top-10 selection.

The event will be held at The Junction in downtown Ogden beginning with a pre-draft party at 4:30 p.m. The festivities will include an outdoor block party with music and vendors. Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell and the Ogden City Council will also declare June 28 as Damian Lillard Day in Ogden.

The celebration will continue with a live showing of ESPN’s coverage of the NBA Draft beginning at 5:30 p.m., which will be available at the Megaplex 13 Theater's largest movie screen.

The celebration will also include raffles of memorabilia signed by Lillard and other giveaways. A Lillard wristband will be available, which will give fans access to local business and dining deals throughout the weekend.

The event is free to the public. Visit WeberStateSports.com for more information.

Lillard is coming off one of the best seasons in Weber State men’s basketball history. He was named Big Sky Conference MVP, District Player of the Year and earned third-team All-American honors, becoming the first player in Big Sky history named to an All-American team. He led the country in scoring throughout most of the season and finished second at 24.5 points per game. He set WSU single-season records in scoring, three-pointers and free throws made. He ranks second in school history in career scoring and is Weber State’s all-time leader in career three-pointers, free throws and free-throw percentage.

Weber State has had 14 players selected in the NBA Draft but has never had a first round selection. Only two players in the history of the Big Sky Conference have been selected in the first round of the draft.